1 · RBR.COM · SPRING 2022 FALL 2022 THE BROADCASTERSFIGHTUNIFIEDFOR From the FCC to Capitol Hill, radio and television station owners have a plethora of proposed rules and laws worthy of their attention. Brokers, attorneys and the NAB are actively keeping track of the D.C. activity. CURTIS LEGEYT: THE MOVINGMEDIABROADCASTCAPTAINSALUTINGTHELEADERSOFLOCALTVFORWARDWITHTHETVB
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenneth Whitney
FALL
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS April McLynn amclynn@streamlinepublishing.com CONSULTANTSADVERTISING/MARKETING Joshua Gertzog jgertzog@streamlinepublishing609.647.3994.com Jennifer Jacques
MANAGING EDITOR Brida Connolly
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
AMERICA’S BROADCAST MEDIA CAPTAIN
George Wymer
24
RBR+TVBR’S TOP LOCAL TV LEADERS LIST
As the NAB’s President/CEO, Curtis LeGeyt has proven adept at navigating around Washington’s regulatory roadblocks. There are many, and LeGeyt is confident the NAB will do whatever it takes to remove as many as it can.
It’s back! And there are lots of changes from 2021. Who’s on top of the 2022 honor roll saluting the individuals charged with leading broadcast TV stations across the U.S.?
A PLEA FOR REGULATORY RELIEF Could an evenly divided FCC and a pivotal midterm Congressional election bring radio and TV broadcasters further away from regulatory reform? Those are just some of the Inside-the-Beltway concerns on the minds of leading communications attorney David Oxenford and veteran media broker Larry Patrick A FORWARD VIEW OF BROADCAST TV What’s on the agenda at the 2022 TVB Forward conference, which includes a VIP limited-capacity in-person event? We hear directly from TVB President/CEO Steve Lanzano. 331 SE Mizner Blvd. Boca Raton, FL, 33432 Phone: 561-655-8778 Twitter:www.rbr.com@rbrtvbr THIS ISSUE 2022 30 RADIO + CHAIRMANBUSINESSTELEVISIONREPORT Eric Rhoads erhoads@streamlinepublishing.com Deborah Parenti dparenti@streamlinepublishing.com Adam R Jacobson ajacobson@streamlinepublishing.com bconnolly@streamlinepublishing.com kwhitney@streamlinepublishing.com jjacques@streamlinepublishing.com937.522.5971 cmarcucci@streamlinepublishing.com703.670.2860 gwymer@streamlinepublishing.com937.609.6778
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER
IN
Carl Marcucci
AMERICA’S BROADCAST MEDIA CAPTAIN
3 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022 As the NAB’s President/CEO, Curtis LeGeyt has proven adept at navigating around Washington’s regulatory roadblocks. There are many, and LeGeyt is confident the NAB will do whatever it takes to remove as many as it can. How Washington moves forward on regulatory policy for broadcast media is integral to the mission of the radio and television industry’s biggest voice inside the Beltway.Butis there a limit to what the NAB can accomplish? Because of one big matter impacting the FCC: the lack of a fifth Commissioner? LeGeyt acknowledges that the failure of the Biden Administration to seat Gigi Sohn and gain a Democratic majority on the commission has put some of the major regulatory relief initiatives on hold. But LeGeyt, whose warm personality and eagerness to understand the industry’s issues emerged quickly as he succeeded former U.S. Senator Gordon Smith as head of the NAB at the start of 2022, isn’t letting politics stop the organization from pressing forward on key policy points. In February, a 2022 Broadcasters’ Policy Agenda offered an overview of the most important policy issues facing local television and radio stations during the 117th Congress. As that session nears its conclusion, LeGeyt and the NAB aren’t swaying from those policy priorities in any way. If anything, the NAB is doubling down on key issues such as “preserving local journalism” in the age of “Big Tech.”
Curtis LeGeyt
According to the NAB, broadcasters support legislation to reinstate it. Yet efforts have stalled time and time again. With the Minority Tax Certificate Program eliminated by Congress in 1995, bringing it back may have to wait for the 118th Congress. To combat that challenge, the broadcasting industry’s leading advocacy voice on Capitol Hill has taken matters into its own hands, to an extent. For nearly 23 years, the NAB Leadership Foundation’s cornerstone initiative has been the Broadcast Leadership Training program. As the NAB sees it, the program has a strong track record of preparing women and people of color to purchase and run radio and television stations.
“However, despite broadcasters’ support for programs such as this, access to capital remains one of the primary barriers to media ownership,” the NAB notes in its policy agenda for “The notion that broadcasters only compete against other broadcasters for eyeballs and ears, let alone advertising dollars, is antiquated.”
In our conversation with a top media broker and a leading Washington, D.C., attorney in this issue, RBR+TVBR asked if the FCC’s desire for “diversity of voices” among its license holders needs reinterpretation to reflect today’s ownership realities.
While the television industry has seen growth in local newsrooms over the last several years, a July 2022 report on the state of local news from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Chicago-based Northwestern University found that the U.S. continues to lose newspapers at a rate of two per week. This, Medill concludes, is “further dividing the nation into wealthier, faster growing communities with access to local news, and struggling areas without.”
But, for the NAB, the fear is that digital news entities including “citizen journalists” could crop up as accepted solutions to filling a news void. That’s dangerous, LeGeyt believes. “We still as a society have a rampant problem with disinformation in local media, and so much of this is fueled by these tech companies.”WithGigi Sohn’s nomination for the fifth FCC Commissioner’s seat all but dead, the NAB’s No. 1 issue is indeed Congressional action on legislation that will “rein in Big Tech’s ability to leverage and devalue local newsGivencontent.”allthe focus on Big Tech, could it become more regulated, bringing it in line with broadcast media, given the current climate in Washington? LeGeyt replies, “The problem is there is not a level playing field we are competing with them on for audience and for ad dollars. You can resolve that in many different ways.”
4 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022 LeGeyt explains, “We try to operate from an advocacy perspective from within the world we can control, and whether it is a 2-2 commission, a 3-2 commission, or a 1-1 commission, our No. 1 job is educating the FCC on the state of the marketplace.” Local ownership rule reform is one key matter for the NAB. And the ability to fairly compete with the Big Tech players: “This is a huge priority for us,” LeGeyt says. “On the television and radio side, we are seeking changes to regulations that impede our ability to reach and gain scale.” That is why Issue No. 1 for the NAB is the consideration by Congress of “the competitive challenges and antitrust concerns raised by digital platforms” and their impact on local news and information. It is the NAB’s belief that Congress should support laws and policies “that recognize and uphold broadcasters’ unique and essential role in democracy and a free press.” Yes, actively participating in discussions across Capitol Hill very much includes visits to the House and Senate Office Buildings, in addition to seeking regulatory changes at the FCC. In Congress, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act “would give broadcasters some additional scale to negotiate with tech platforms,” LeGeyt says, adding, “Reining in the gatekeeping ability is imperative to the future of local media.” How big is the “Big Tech vs. linear media” storyline for the NAB? It’s omnipresent. “The notion that broadcasters only compete against other broadcasters for eyeballs and ears, let alone advertising dollars, is antiquated,” LeGeyt shares, reiterating statements made across the year by those who seek regulatory parity for radio and television with its local digital media competitors. While the LJSA is one piece of legislation under consideration by federal lawmakers, the NAB is also pushing the Journalism Competition Preservation Act. LeGeyt explains the difference between this and the LJSA. “The Journalism Competition Preservation Act allows us the ability to collectively negotiate with the platforms to get fair value for content distribution,” he says, whereas the LJSA is focused on incentivizing the production of local content with respect to the federal tax code. As Big Tech has dramatically disrupted the environment for local media, both pieces of legislation are big policy issues for the NAB.
Even with local newsroom growth in the TV sector, many radio stations rely on their local TV news partners for everything information-oriented, including weather reports.
A CALL FOR BROADCASTING DIVERSITY
For the NAB, the way to increase diversity in broadcasting is through creating new opportunities for women, people of color, and other underrepresented communities. It is sticking with that focus, soldiering on in its quest for Congress to bring back a diversity-fueling tax certificate program that ushered in a wave of women and multicultural owners in broadcast media. That program provided tax incentives to those who sold their majority interests in broadcast stations to minority buyers.
“We are never going to support proposals that are going to interfere with radio stations’ ability to serve their local communities.” LeGeyt is referring to the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would permit the voluntary use of FM boosters for program origination — the linchpin for GeoBroadcasting Solutions to launch its ZoneCasting service. The NAB has made clear it feels that ZoneCasting, which would bring hyperlocal programming and advertising solutions to some broadcasters, has too many flaws for it to gainThat’sapproval.a180-degree turn from when the concept of ZoneCasting first emerged. Of course, as the idea and concept turned into practical application and testing, data helped carve a more formalized view of the technology. And it created a great divide between NABOB and the MMTC; the latter sides with independent minority broadcasters who say ZoneCasting will create greater advertising opportunities for challenged broadcasters. For the NAB and its members, it’s not just the technology but the potential impact on advertising rates that make ZoneCasting a danger. “GBS has not given the FCC or the industry clear evidence that its technology can work without station interference,” LeGeyt tells RBR+TVBR , reiterating the NAB’s arguments as delivered to the FCC as part of the NPRM comment and reply comment process.
OUT OF THE SAFE ZONE
As that fight continues at the Commission, ensuring that all radio and TV stations operate in a vibrant, growth-filled environment remains a key task for LeGeyt and his team. They will continue to ensure that broadcast ownership rules reflect the competitive marketplace, and will continue to thwart legislation on Capitol Hill that would impose any new fee or tax on radio airplay. Ensuring that advertising is still a tax write-off on the expense sheet is also a big policy issue for the NAB. Meanwhile, the NAB is battling the FCC over a proposed fee hike for broadcasters that the association calls an unfair burden, with a 13% year-over-year increase for radio and TV licensees. Then there are the legislative fights waged by the NAB’s legal team, led by Rick Kaplan, that have proven victorious for broadcasters. On July 12 the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated an FCC order mandating disclosure for foreign government-sponsored programming. The NAB, MMTC, and NABOB came together to challenge the Commission on the rule, adopted in April 2021 but blocked by the court challenge. It would have seen the arrival of sponsorship identification rules requiring broadcasters to disclose when foreign governments or their representatives lease time on their airwaves. The NAB, NABOB, and MMTC asserted that the Order “exceeds the Commission’s statutory authority, defies this Court’s precedent, and is unconstitutional.”
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 5 the current Meanwhile,Congress.theNAB says its members are actively seeking passage of two pieces of legislation introduced in the current Congress: H.R. 4871, the Broadcast Ownership Opportunities Act submitted by Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.); and S. 2456, the Broadcast Varied Ownership Incentives for Community Expanded Service Act, introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.)Butterfield’s legislation had 40 co-sponsors as of August 19, but no Republican signed on in support of the bill. Peters’ legislation had eight co-sponsors on that date, all of whom are GivenDemocrats.thepolitical divisions in Congress, a stalemate on important issues exists on the Hill, too, and not just at the FCC.
On the same day, it just so happened that the NAB promoted
KEEPING CONNECTED AWAY FROM HOME With radio industry legislative and rulemaking activity seemingly abundant compared to that of broadcast TV, keeping AM and FM easily accessible in the connected car is another key focal point of the NAB under LeGeyt. “We all see what is happening in the automobile — the tremendous innovations that are happening and the way that radio is being reshaped and is being consumed,” he said in a keynote address at the 2022 Hispanic Radio Conference in Miami, presented by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink. “Radio is a very, very complicated industry for the automotive industry to deal with because we are so fragmented, and we understand it is much easier to go to a Spotify or an Apple Music and have that direct interface-creating consumer experience rather than think about radio with thousands, literally, across the country.”
The NAB, LeGeyt said, is doing its best to play a leadership role in helping to provide that interface and ensure that the radio industry can speak with one voice on the demand for radio in the car and its public safety benefits. Then there are the continued business opportunities for radio that are so essential to maintaining AM and FM in future in-dash receivers.
As the cheerleading captain for the voice of radio and TV with the biggest sway on Capitol Hill, LeGeyt has his megaphone at the ready. Clapping will commence upon the passage of one of the NAB’s many legislative desires.
BREAKING THE SILOS With a big midterm election coming in weeks, voters could have an indirect say in how the NAB’s key desires move forward in Congress. For LeGeyt, the fight won’t ebb. “It is our job as a trade association to cheerlead for this industry,” he says.
Rather than looking at each issue individually, LeGeyt said the NAB is starting with the question “If you care about local journalism, and if you care about community versus divisiveness, how are you enabling or disabling this local medium and its ability to compete?” He continued, “Every question should start with that premise of economic viability. Don’t get to the more mundane until you have determined whether this helps or hurts the business of broadcasting, because that is what is ultimately going to help serve the consumer in local markets across the country.”
Speaking at the Hispanic Radio Conference, he said, “Instead of looking at each issue in a vacuum, we are asking them to ask the question of ‘How does this issue impact the economic viability of broadcasting more largely?’”
“I am very excited about the future of the local radio industry,” LeGeyt said as he wrapped up his Hispanic Radio Conference keynote. “For all the things we talk about that are going wrong in this country and that are being enabled by this current media landscape and what tech companies are doing, you are the antidote to that.”
6 Nicole Gustafson and Josh Pollack to co-roles as SVPs of Government Relations, as Laura Kaufman was upped to SVP/Corporate Counsel for Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Each will likely play key roles, along with Kaplan and SVP/Senior Deputy General Counsel Jerianne Timmerman and co-SVP/Deputy General Counsel Erin Dozier and Patrick McFadden.
Now, for the third consecutive year, RBR+TVBR is pleased to honor a diverse group of leaders. Several new faces, along with returning honorees, comprise the 2022 Local TV Leaders list — a direct reflection from those across broadcast media of the strong leadership these execs have demonstrated at their local, over-the-air television stations.
AN INDUSTRY SALUTE TO THE TOP LOCAL TV LEADERS
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RBR+TVBR is proud to salute these individuals for what they’ve brought to their stations, and to the local television business, in the last year. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic enveloping the United States, local television leaders were lauded by their broadcasting industry peers for their outstanding achievements.
The result: a diverse list of individuals who continue to excel, many of whom gained national recognition for their efforts across the last 12 months. From the continued rollout of NEXTGEN TV to monetizing their digital streaming platforms, these top Local TV Leaders stand in command of an industry preparing for the future today. Our 2022 honorees are ranked based on RBR+TVBR reader nominations and the evaluation of the editorial leadership of the Radio + Television Business Report ; the list expanded to 20 in 2021.
O f the 20 local television leaders selected by RBR+TVBR readers for the 2022 rankings, 11 are new this year. This is a reflection of a rapidly evolving industry that saw the merger with Gray Television of Meredith Local Media and Quincy Media, Inc. Others moved on to bigger positions at other stations. Last year’s No. 2 honoree, Graham Media Group’s Marla Drutz, retired from WDIV “LOCAL 4” in Detroit’s top leadership post.
8 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022 1 TOM EHLMANN PRESIDENT/GM, KXAS-TV & KXTX-TV, Dallas NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations 2021 Rank: No.1
For the second consecutive year, RBR+TVBR readers overwhelmingly submitted their nominations and suggested nominees for the 2022 Local TV Leaders rankings. Once again, Tom Ehlmann received the greatest amount of reader support.Ehlmann was humble upon learning of his 2022 honor and declined to comment on his return to the list, without even knowing where he placed. Perhaps this is one of the reasons our honorees united in praise for Ehlmann, who has been at the helm of NBC O&O KXAS-5 since 2008. He added similar duties for Telemundo sibling KXTX-39 in more recent years. Ehlmann arrived in Dallas after serving as VP/GM of then-Tribune Broadcasting flagship WGN-9 in Chicago from 2004-2008. Ehlmann also led KHWB in Houston. Outside of his role at KXAS and KXTX, Ehlmann serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, where he was inducted into that organization’s national Hall of Fame in 2019. He is a member of the Pro Players Foundation Advisory Board and the North Texas Ad Council, and is a former board member of the Texas Asso ciation of Broadcasters, which honored Tom with its Broad caster of the Year award in 2014 for his many contributions to the industry and community. While Ehlmann declined to have a discussion about his spot on the list, he shared with RBR+TVBR his thoughts on the vital importance of digital delivery of the broadcast TV content that NBC5 and Telemundo 39 produce for North Texas viewers. He said, “We continue to be in a business where local video content is still in demand with consumers and marketers. This local content, primarily local news, has a very unique value in our markets. We will continue to make this content available to our audiences on whatever platforms are available to us with whatever delivery systems are possible.”
Tom Ehlmann
2021 Rank: No. 5 Central Florida has emerged in recent years as one of the nation’s most competitive local television markets. As such, there are now two Local TV Leaders from Orlando in the 2022 rankings. The first leader from the home of Sea World and Walt Disney World, who has been in the market since July 2019, now finds himself at No. 2 on the latest RBR+TVBR Local TV Leaders list. And, once again, Mike McClain would rather place the focus on his team at FOX 35 in Orlando than on himself. That’s no surprise to anyone following McClain’s feed on Twitter, which is sparsely populated and mainly features reports from news team members such as evening meteorologist Brooks Garner. While McClain keeps a low profile, FOX 35 has proven to be a strong competitor in a market where it competes against Cox Media Group, Hearst Television, and Graham Media Group. He came to WOFL-35 after spending nearly two years at the helm of WJZY-46 in Charlotte. Before that, he was VP/News for WAGA-TV in Atlanta. In addition to his primary duties running WOFL, McClain oversees the operations at Central Florida’s MyNetwork TV affiliate, WRBW-65, and the FOX affiliate in nearby Gainesville-Ocala, WOGX-51. From 2001 through July 2007, McClain served as the VP of News at WBRC-6 in Birmingham. In this role, he attracted the attention of Bill Whetsone, author of “The Canceled Chronicles” and head of Whetstone Media. As WBRC’s Senior Sales and Marketing Producer for much of McClain’s tenure at the station, Whetstone shares, “I am truly happy to see Mike has reached a new high as a broadcaster. He was one of the pioneers of 24-hour news in Alabama, and his dedication to the highest standards of news coverage is needed more intensely today than ever. He is a tough manager, and very honest, fair, and direct.”
“The need for localism will always be paramount in our communities and the broadcasters.”separatethatdifferentiatorkeywilllocal Mike McClain Branden Frantz
MIKE McCLAIN SVP/GM, WOFL-TV, Orlando
In 2021, Branden Frantz joined the list of Local TV Leaders as his peers from across the nation saluted his efforts as the head of the NBC affiliate serving the Cincinnati market. Competing against the flagship property of The E.W. Scripps Co. and Sinclair Broadcast Group, Frantz has built WLWT into a regional powerhouse in his 5 1/2 years in the station’s top leadership spot. Taking the role at WLWT in January 2017 marked Frantz’s return to the Buckeye State. From 2008-2013, he led the FOX affiliate in Cincinnati, WXIX-19. Before that, Frantz spent six years as Director of Sales for WKEF-23 & WRGT-45 in Dayton. There, one of his account executives was George Wymer, today a member of the RBR+TVBR senior sales team. Speaking of his placement among the Top Local TV Leaders, Frantz tells RBR+TVBR , “This is a wonderfully thoughtful recognition. I am very fortunate to work with such a talented, supportive, and devoted group of individuals.”
FOX Television Stations
Frantz says WLWT and Hearst are “aggressively addressing this need” with the launch of the Very Local streaming platform at his station. It puts the station’s local news, weather, and special reports, in addition to WLWT’s Let’s Talk Cincy public affairs program, all in one on-demand platform. There is also original content. “Very Local provides the streaming audience what they are looking for in fresh video content, but this is really just an extension of our local brand — in a new space,” Frantz says. “As the viewership population grows on streaming platforms, we will be there to address these opportunities, and we know local brands within this space will have advantages many others do not.”
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Frantz also takes a moment to share his views on the increased consumption of streaming video, and how WLWT-5 has been able to continue to attract viewers to its linear channel while exploring growth opportunities in the digital realm. He comments, “There is no doubt that streaming services are getting a lot of attention these days. While the ecosystem is still taking shape, we know there are tremendous opportunities for us in this space. That said, I also feel the need for localism will always be paramount in our communities and the key differen tiator that will separate local broadcasters.”
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 9 3 BRANDEN FRANTZ President/GM, WLWT-TV, Cincinnati Hearst Television 2021 Rank: No. 7
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VP/GM, KOB-TV, Albuquerque Hubbard Broadcasting 2021 Ranking: No. 6
10 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022 4 MICHELLE DONALDSON
With crosstown competitors that include Hearst Television and Nexstar Media Group, Donaldson has navigated KOB-4 in a distinctive manner, one that she shares as perhaps a word of advice to others across the U.S. “It really comes down to being the trusted expert to help your local businesses navigate all the changes and options available to them today,” Donaldson says. “You can’t see yourself as simply a TV station with digital assets. You need to be the trusted guide, finding the right platforms for each client. As committed partners in our community, we are best positioned to help develop brands and campaigns that are connected to the target audience, no matter where they are and what technology may emerge next.”
In 2021, Michelle Donaldson appeared on RBR+TVBR’s Top Local TV Leaders list for the first time. She expressed surprise at her nomination. When informed that she was a leader as recognized by RBR+TVBR readers for our 2022 rankings, Donaldson was equally shocked. “Once again, I am gobsmacked by this news.” As the VP/GM of the NBC affiliate serving most of New Mexico, a role she earned in December 2017 after nearly 4 1/2 years as the station’s News Director, Donaldson has used her background in news to drive her vision of a station that is deeply connected to the Albuquerque community. She’s also done her part to invest in outcomes that make New Mexico stronger — both socially and economically. Donaldson joined KOB-4 in September 2013 in a return to Albuquerque, where she spent nearly nine years as News Director of KRQE-13 and KASA-2, the FOX affiliate at that time. In between, Donaldson was News Director of KPHO-5 in Phoenix, a Meredith Local Media property. Donaldson’s roots are in Detroit, and she served as a News Reporter for WJR-AM from March 1985-October 1992.
In January 2020, with COVID-19 still a largely South Asian concern, NATPE Miami was staged at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. Who knew that it would be the last time NATPE would hold its annual conference and expo at the venue, or that Nexstar Media Group founder and CEO Perry Sook would make his ultimate decision at that conference on who would succeed the retiring Don Corsini at its newly acquired West Coast flagship?
Today, Drafs now oversees what has become the West Coast flagship property for not only Nexstar but also The CW Network, now majority-owned by Nexstar, the largest broadcast TV licensee in the United States. Before joining KTLA, Drafs served as VP/GM of the ABC and Univision affiliates serving Seattle-Tacoma — KOMO-4 and KUNS-TV, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. She also led the three radio brands that were owned by Sinclair during her tenure; they are now owned by Lotus Communications. With a strong local news presence and such standout programming as its annual Tournament of Roses Parade coverage, Drafs explains what makes KTLA-5 a valued property for viewers across the Southland. “Demand and consumption of local news has never been stronger,” she says. “At KTLA we are committed to serving our audiences on whatever platform they choose. Metrics from all our platforms show the necessity for streaming, beyond cable, satellite, and over-the-air viewership. There is a growing Michelle Donaldson Drafs
Since the revelation that Janene Drafs would be taking on the VP/GM role at KTLA as of February 10, 2020, the venerable broadcast TV station has been firing on all cylinders even as CBS News & Stations gears up to directly challenge KTLA with a new morning news block for its own KCAL-9.
Janene
JANENE DRAFS VP/GM, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles Nexstar Media Group
Donaldson concludes that if one believes in the multi platform approach for a client, one had better be demon strating it for clients of one’s own. “In this crowded space, we must work hard to distinguish ourselves for content that is trusted, and content that is connected to our community,” she says. “It should look and sound like content that only someone embedded in New Mexico could produce.”
NEW IN 2022
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Billy Robbins
PAUL MAGNES EVP/GM, WSVN-TV, Miami Sunbeam Television 2021 Ranking: No. 12
When it comes to local TV news and its ability to lure viewers, even to a station with no network affiliation, Sunbeam Television is an innovator. Thanks to its late founder, Ed Ansin, WSVN-7 successfully soared to No. 1 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale news rankings following its loss of NBC affiliation not by closely linking with the fledgling FOX network but by becoming “South Florida’s News Station,” with a bit of flash and “in-your-face” reporting. Some 35 years later, WSVN’s dominant presence in South Florida endures. Ansin died in July 2020, and the honors now go to Paul Magnes, who rose from co-President of WSVN in 2021 and relinquished a similar role at WHDH-7 and WLVI-56 in Boston, Sunbeam siblings to its South Florida property. Magnes has been with Sunbeam for 16 years and joined the company as a Local Sales Manager. Before that, he was an Account Executive at WBZ-4 in Boston.
8 BILLY ROBBINS VP/GM, WBFF-TV, Baltimore Sinclair Broadcast Group NEW IN 2022
Johnny Green Jr. Paul Magnes
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On April 11, 1971, Julian Sinclair Smith-led Chesapeake Television Corp. signed WBFF-45 on the air. The UHF station, which enjoys an over-the-air signal that reaches Washington, D.C., was a late bloomer, however, and by 1985 the property served as one of three founding properties of what is today Sinclair Broadcast Group. For viewers, the WBFF of today has its roots in October 1986, when it became one of the first FOX affiliates. Today, “FOX 45” is led by Billy Robbins, who rose to VP/GM of the station in January 2021. He also oversees Sinclair’s provision of services to WNUV-54 in Baltimore, the CW Network affiliate for the market. Robbins was hired by Sinclair in 2004, rising from General Sales Manager and Director of Sales to Station Manager. Is there a recipe for success Robbins adheres to? He tells RBR+TVBR , “At FOX45, we are the ‘Voice of the Voiceless,’ and we deliver news that covers what matters most to the community with 11 1/2 hours of relevant, locally produced news and pro gramming five days a week, on-air, online, and on And,mobile.”asnews content today is being con sumed at the speed of light and is available at everyone’s fingertips, FOX 45 is committed to a comprehensive digital strategy, Robbins says. “Our mission is to connect people with content everywhere. In addition to our linear assets, we use our digital properties to provide a complete 360-degree approach to deliver live, accurate, and relevant news to our viewers and followers.”
He’d been a part of the CBS family since 2015 and became interim News Director of WCBS-2 in New York in January 2021. Six months later, Johnny Green Jr. earned a promotion to the top position for CBS News & Stations’ flagship broadcast TV properties in the Big Apple. “I have been thoroughly impressed by the thoughtful and seasoned lead ership Johnny has provided inside the CBS 2 newsroom and at Newspath,” said Wendy McMahon, President and co-head of CBS News & Stations. Before moving to New York early last year, Green was VP and News Director at WBZ-4 in Boston. While he was at WBZ, the station won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence. In addition, Green has received several Emmy Awards over the course of his 20-plus years in local television. “Thanks so much … I am humbled by this news,” Green told RBR+TVBR upon landing on the Local TV Leaders list for the first time. Asked what his top priority is moving into 2023, he responds, “WCBS carries the distinction of being the first network-owned station to get into the 24/7 local news streaming business. The CBS News New York streaming channel is a top priority for us and a key driver of our continuing success.”
JOHNNY GREEN JR. President/GM, WCBS-TV, New York CBS News & Stations NEW IN 2022
He began his career as an Account Executive at WPBN-17 in Traverse City, Mich., following his graduation from Arizona State University and has been associated with KVVU-TV, “FOX 5,” since January 2003. For five years, he served as Account Executive. Then came roles of Local Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, and, ultimately, his current role of VP/GM, earned in January 2019.
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 13 9 ERIK SCHRADER VP/GM, WPCH-TV and WGCL-TV, Atlanta Gray Television NEW IN 2022
MICHAEL KORR VP/GM, KVVU-TV, Las Vegas Gray Television NEW IN 2022
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For five years, he was a standout local TV leader in Cleveland, overseeing WOIO-19 as VP/GM. Then, the sta tion’s owner, Gray Television, completed its merger with Meredith Local Media. That deal led Gray Television to promote Erik Schrader, transferring him from Northern Ohio to its home market of Atlanta. That appointment, which saw Schrader succeed Deborah Collura, came after Schrader won accolades in Cleveland for ensuring a virtual classroom was beamed across Cleveland’s home for The CW Network during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Schrader’s previous roles include stints as President/GM of WIAT-42 in Birmingham and as President/GM of KSNW-3 in Wichita. From September 2011-August 2013 he served as News Director of WTNH-8 in Hartford-New Haven. “Thanks so much! I’m very surprised and honored,” Schrader said upon learning of his spot on the list. Sharing his views on the importance of digital delivery of broadcast content, assuring CBS46 and Peachtree TV offerings can be found across all devices, Schrader said, “We have been fortunate in terms of growing a broadcast audience in 2022, and digital has been vital to helping broadcast grow in several key ways.”
Erik Schrader Michael Korr
Today, Michael Korr is a veteran of a former Meredith Local Media standout now within the Gray Television family. He couldn’t be happier with how the last 19 years have played out in Southern Nevada. “This industry has introduced me to many amazing individuals,” he tells RBR+TVBR “Clients and co-workers have inspired me to work hard and together find creative and innovative ways to problem-solve. As a result, I cannot imagine a more enjoyable and rewarding career.”Inhis time as VP/GM, the FOX 5 team increased local content to 83 1/2 hours per week from 58 hours and com menced a community outreach program that sees the station and its business partners come together to build a U.S. Armed Forces veteran a home through Habitat for Humanity and design and construct a new playground for an underserved community neighborhood. Meanwhile, when he’s not involved in station activities, Korr’s competitive drive inspired him to take up barbecuing. And he’s become quite the gourmet, taking part in local and regional barbecue competitions.Askedabout the success of FOX 5 and the long-term goals he has as its captain, Korr comments, “We have been the local station of choice for news over the past five or 10 years, living up to our brand of local. As streaming video continues to gain attention and viewers, we decided to take the primary strength of streaming and apply it to our linear product. We are there with local content — when the viewer wants it. They don’t need to make our news programs appointment television. That is why we now have 15.5 hours a day of local news content. Despite this strategy, we still know how vital digital products are for our product. We need to have our content available everywhere, and we put a lot of effort and time into customizing our content based on the delivery platform.”
For example, CBS46 has been offering big investigative stories on digital before they air on broadcast. “A lot of the evidence shows us the stories have been more impactful by following this strategy,” Schrader said, dispelling the notion that early access to reports produced for broadcast would erode viewership. With respect to OTT, Schrader says he’s a big believer that stations with an “insurgent” strategy can capitalize on its growth. “OTT can be the best way to introduce what you are doing to a broader sampling audience,” he shares. “We constantly seek and find opportunities to find news as it’s happening – news that wouldn’t warrant breaking into broadcast programming, but important news nonetheless. Getting on OTT and social media with these timely updates — updates that aren’t under any time constraints whatsoever — gives the audience news they are interested in exactly when they want it, while at the same time acquainting them with your brand and your talent. It’s incredibly valuable to viewers and to us.” Meanwhile, Schrader says CBS46 is adding viewers because Gray is adding 50 individuals to the newsroom across 2022, building on what Meredith Local Media had in place prior to Gray’s acquisition of the station. “It’s allowing us to add more newscasts, and it’s allowing us to cover Atlanta more thoroughly.”
CONGRATULATIONS
to Erik Schrader of WGCL-TV & WPCH-TV Atlanta, GA and Michael Korr of KVVU-TV Las Vegas, NV for being named as Radio + Television Business Report’s 2022 Top Local TV Leaders. Gray Television is honored to have you both as part of our media family. We wish you, and the other esteemed colleagues on this list continued success.
SALUTE
Erik Schrader WGCL-TV & WPCH-TV Atlanta, GA Michael Korr KVVU-TV Las Vegas, NV
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NICK MAGNINI VP/GM, WUTV-TV, Buffalo-Niagara Falls Sinclair Broadcast Group 2021 Ranking: 14
12 DALE
Three years ago, Dale Woods exited then-Meredith Local Media’s WSMV-4 in Nashville for the role of President/GM of the FOX, MyNetwork TV, and CW affiliates serving the Kentucky city: Block Communications’ WDRB-TV, WBKI-TV and WBKI-DT3, the MyNetworkTV home. Before his tenure in Nashville, Woods spent a decade at Tribune Broadcasting, first as a Regional Group Manager for WHO in Des Moines; WQAD in the Quad Cities; KFOR in Oklahoma City; and KFSM in Fort Smith, Ark. He began his career in 1986 at WRGT-45 in Dayton, as a Sales AE for the FOX
The Buffalo-Niagara Falls market has seen many leadership changes since the start of the year. Among them: the retirement of Nick Magnini as the VP/GM of Sinclairowned WUTV “FOX 29,” a station he’s overseen since March 2005. Before that, he was the GSM for WUTV and its sibling WNYO-TV. That role came in 1998, after he served for nine years as General Sales Manager of WCNC-TV in Charlotte. Magnini began his career in Western New York in 1977, moving up the sales ladder at WIVB-4. With the July 1, 2021 debut of a 10pm newscast attrib utable to Magnini, some would say he’s gone out a winner. And it turns out Magnini’s retirement plans date to October 2021, when Tamara Walter was appointed Station Manager. While the role was formally under Magnini, the longtime leader was quietly preparing to step to the sidelines. With the publication of our 2022 Top Local TV Leaders list, Sinclair COO Rob Weisbord confirms that Magnini is indeed retired. However, the role of GM had not been determined as of RBR+TVBR’s late August deadline.Thereaders of RBR+TVBR , including Magnini’s peers, have paid tribute to an individual whose 45-year career has left an indelible mark on Buffalo, leaving a strong blueprint for continued riches for his successor at WUTV. WOODS VP, NEWBCILouisvilleWDRB-TV/WMYO-TV/WBKI-TV,BroadcastingIN2022
“Because streaming has no ‘hard-outs’ of time, this enables us to go deeper with insights and information.”
Dale Woods
Today,affiliate.thanks to his October 2020 promotion, he’s also in charge of Toledo-based BCI’s WAND-TV in Decatur, Ill.; and the ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates serving Lima, Ohio — WLIO and WOHL. However, Louisville is still his No. 1 focus, and the success Woods has enjoyed over the past three years is what led RBR+TVBR readers to nominate Woods as a Local TV Leader. In fact, WDRB and WBKI are among the top FOX and CW Network affiliates in the country today. “It is a great honor to lead the broadcast division for Block Communications,” Woods says. “For over a century the Block family has been committed to quality journalism and serving its communities.”Askedaboutthe digital initiatives in place at BCI, Woods says, “Block Broadcasting sees the extreme value in being available to all streaming platforms inclusive of our own OTT platform. The traditional linear distribution is one where the clock controlled the content, whereas with streaming the content controls the clock. Streaming allows the customer/ viewer to consume when and what they want. Because
streaming has no ‘hard-outs’ of time, this enables us to go deeper with insights and information.” Woods also notes that the “critical component” of BCI’s own OTT platform is providing original content and “not another recycling center for our linear stream.” Lastly, he believes the integration of digital content with the NEXTGEN TV capabilities set to arrive provides a bright future for broadcasting.
“ABC13 serves our Houstonarea audience by pledging to keep them safe and informed — not on our schedule but on theirs, and wherever viewers of today want their news, including social media.” Wendy Granato
With TEGNA’s pending privatization effort — which will see Apollo Global Man agement take a non-voting minority stake in the company formerly known as Gannett while Standard General takes a controlling stake — company executives and local leaders have stayed quiet. That’s typical for a company that still needs regulatory approval for a big transaction. As such, Bill Dallman was unable to comment on his placement for the first time on RBR+TVBR’s Local TV Leaders honor roll. Dallman has been in his role since June 2021 and succeeded John Remes, who retired at the end of 2020. Dallman joined KARE 11 from KOMO News, the ABC affiliate in Seattle owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, where he had served as News Director since 2018. Before that, Dallman was VP of News for KCBS-2 and KCAL-9 in Los Angeles, the CBS News & Stations duo. Earlier in his career, Dallman worked at a KARE com petitor — FOX affiliate KMSP-9 in Minneapolis. At the time of Dallman’s appointment in the Twin Cities, TEGNA EVP/COO of Media Operations Lynn Beall said, “Bill brings a winning track record and extensive experience to KARE. A native Minnesotan, Bill is keenly aware of KARE’s history as a leader in high-quality news, an innovator of content on all platforms, and champion of community engagement. His creative energy and collaborative lead ership style will enable him to lead KARE’s talented team into the future.”
WENDY GRANATO
President/GM, KTRK-TV, Houston ABC Owned Stations 2021 Ranking: No. 18
St. NEWTEGNAPaulin2022
President/GM, Minneapolis-
KARE-TV,
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Bill Dallman
During her tenure as President/GM, Granato spear headed the launch of KTRK’s 24/7 news stream and led the station’s introduction of two new premium content fran chises, “Unsolved” and “Texas True Crime.” Those offerings proved so popular they have been picked up by Hulu.
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 17 13 BILL DALLMAN
As the VP of News at the ABC Owned Television Station serving Houston, Wendy Granato earned praise for her station’s nonstop coverage of Hurricane Harvey and its devastating flooding in 2017. It was an eight-day effort that raised KTRK-13’s stature on a national level. Today, Granato, a former Executive Producer of Special Projects and executive producer of the daily talk show “Debra Duncan,” serves as the President/GM of KTRK. Her leadership of the station continues to attract applause from across the U.S., as RBR+TVBR readers once again offered their nominations of Granato as a top Local TV Leader.
RBR+TVBR asked Granato to provide more insight into KTRK’s digital aspirations, and how having a strong OTT presence will benefit the station in remaining relevant with Houston consumers across the coming years. “ABC13 has continued to attract viewers by doubling down on our commitment to live, local coverage 24/7. In this ever-changing, fast-paced world, local news has never been more important or more in demand. ABC13 serves our Houston-area audience by pledging to keep them safe and informed — not on our schedule but on theirs, and wherever viewers of today want their news, including social media. That means building a team capable of going live and providing breaking news, weather, and important local coverage every day, every hour, every minute. The launch of our 24/7 digital stream has given us the platform, and data show us the audience is there.”
WITHPERFORMANCEPURPOSETEGNACongratulatesTVBR’sTopLocalTVLeaders
We proudly salute the important work of the 2022 honorees and their commitment to providing trusted local news, information and support to the communities they serve.
It’s been 2 1/2 years since John Lewis took over the top leadership post for Nexstar’s local television operations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. He was previously VP/GM of WNCT-TV in Greenville-New Bern, and prior to joining Nexstar was the head of his own broadcast media transactions consultancy. Before that, Lewis was VP/GM of the former WXFI-TV and WYDO-TV, today “FOX Eastern Carolina,” from 2000 to 2002. Since taking over at WNCN, Lewis has barely had a moment to himself. The growth has been fast and furious, gaining notice among RBR+TVBR readers who selected him for the second consecutive year as a Top Local TV Leader. “What a year!” he exclaims when taking a break to chat with RBR+TVBR . “We launched a 4pm newscast airing Monday through Friday and expanded the ‘My Carolina’ lifestyle show from 30 minutes to one hour. We moved ‘Young and the Restless’ back in line with the CBS network time slot of 12:30-1:30pm … WNCN is dynamically moving forward in Raleigh.” Media executives around the nation now associate the call letters with the Raleigh TV station, rather than a longdefunct Classical FM radio station in New York. Lewis continues, “I am so fortunate to be working for such a forward-thinking company as Nexstar. We surround ourselves with great people that want to be here every day. Those people are the reason for the tremendous growth we have seen in local news, programming, ratings, and digital.”
JOHN LEWIS VP/GM, WNCN-TV, Raleigh Nexstar Media Group 2021 Ranking: No. 15
It’s a rare thing when multiple individuals from the same market end up on an industry honor roll of national importance. Yet the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne DMA has become one of the fiercest, most competitive local TV marketplaces in North America. That means two Local TV Leaders from Central Florida appear on this year’s list. Joining Mike McClain at FOX competitor WOFL-TV this year is Paul Briggs, who leads a heritage ABC affiliate with perhaps the strongest news ratings in a market where Hearst’s WESH-2 and Graham Media Group’s WKMG-6 seek to wrestle viewers away from WFTV. It’s been tough — especially as WFTV is the home of the most recognizable news anchors in the Sunshine State, Greg Warmoth and Martha Sugalski. In June, Central Floridians faced both severe weather and breaking news events, including a historic Supreme Court decision. “On every platform our teams worked tire lessly to provide our community with up-to-the-minute details on these important events,” Briggs said as he shared on LinkedIn ratings data showing WFTV with 51% of all news viewers aged 25-54 between 4:30am and 11:30pm. “I’m proud of the efforts from the entire Channel 9 Eyewitness News Team and thankful that our viewers rewarded our station by making us their clear choice over every other local news station.”
16 PAUL BRIGGS VP/GM, WFTV-TV & WRDQ-TV, Orlando Cox Media Group NEW in 2022
A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Briggs launched his career as an Account Executive for WKLX and WCMF in Rochester, N.Y., radio stations that were siblings to WROC-TV. That was in 1987, right after college graduation. Thirty-five years later, he’s fully ensconced in Orlando, committed to serving local audiences with top-notch local programming and ABC’s network fare.
John Lewis Paul Briggs
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Wendy Granato
for being selected as one of 2022’s TOP LOCAL TV LEADERS Congratulations
18 AMIE CHAPMAN VP/GM, KRXI-TV & KRNV-TV and Nevada Sports Net, Reno, SinclairNev.Broadcast Group NEW in 2022
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When asked to describe Amie Chapman, who leads Sinclair’s Northern Nevada television station group, one RBR+TVBR reader who nominated her as a Local TV Leader cited her passion and enthusiasm. “She loves to develop people, think outside the box, and problem-solve,” the television industry staffer said of Chapman.
Looking back on her accomplishments, Chapman offers her senti ments in one sentence. “The key to staying connected with viewers is to create compelling content and serve it up to viewers and users on all our platforms,” she says.
TOM KEELER VP/GM, KOIN-TV & KRCW-TV, Portland, Ore. Nexstar Media Group NEW in 2022 Portland, Ore., has taken its lumps in recent years, with violence and protests marring the downtown core of one of America’s most progressive — and dynamic — cities. Outside of that section of the Rose City, artists, entrepreneurs, and business professionals unite to create a unique and thriving community that continues to consume local TV in large quantities. The second-largest DMA in the Pacific Northwest is as competitive as ever, and while TEGNA’s KGW-8 has long been nationally recog nized for its journalistic excellence, crosstown competition remains tight. And Tom Keeler’s leadership of CBS affiliate KOIN-6 and its CW Network-affiliate sibling is one reason the race for Portland’s top TV spot is tighter than ever. A 30-year broadcast veteran, Keeler began his career in television in Phoenix, rising from Account Executive to LSM before gaining his first VP/GM role. Looking back, Keeler credits his success to his commitment to local news and programming and to understanding the power of TV and its impact on growing local businesses. Outside of KOIN and KRCW, Keeler has been actively involved with the NAB both as a graduate of Broadcast Leadership Training (BLT) and as a member of the Small Market Television Committee. He’s held various leadership roles within local chapters of the American Advertising Federation, too. “The one thing broadcasting does better than any other competitive programming and video service is localism, serving communities with a hands-on approach to public RBR+TVBR . “Local programming and stories featuring residents, student athletes, and the uniqueness of the community served will always give local broadcasting an advantage over those who are not out in the community. Local partnerships, including broadcast agreements with local high schools, sports franchises, and colleges will always drive viewership, while providing an abundance of local content unique to broadcasters.”
Sinclair acquired the station from Cox in 2013. That’s when Chapman was promoted to her current position.
Chapman has over 30 years of broadcast experience, with a resume that includes time at Katz Television in Los Angeles. When she departed Katz, she moved to Nevada to help launch KRXI as “FOX 11” under thenowner Cox Media Group. Chapman spent 18 years under Cox ownership, rising from LSM to NSM and then GSM.
Keeler also notes that digital platforms enable broadcasters to target aspects of the local com munity from both coverage and promotional standpoints, with the ability to drive viewers to linear with stories found nowhere else. He also believes ATSC 3.0 will be a game-changer for the industry, enabling broadcasters to develop unique local strategies in news, sales, promotion, and public service in ways no competitor can match.
Tom Keeler Amie Chapman
That will undoubtedly continue as long as Chapman is in charge in Reno.
A graduate of the University of California-Santa Barbara, Chapman loves Reno. That heartfelt admiration of the “Biggest Little City in the World” has helped “NEWS 4,” an NBC affiliate, and “FOX11,” its Sinclair-managed sibling, become well-respected local TV stations across the region.
Soon afterward, KRNV was brought into the fold, creating a duopoly. Chapman stewarded the teams through a merger, as well as a two-year, $7 million facility upgrade. Then came a local morning news program for FOX11, followed by the launch of locally focused Nevada Sports Net.
ED CHAPUIS VP/GM, KSBY-TV, San Luis Obispo, Calif. The E.W. Scripps Co. NEW in 2022
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Chapuis’ career began at one of the nation’s biggest NBC stations, WMAQ-5 in Chicago. Now, he’s overseeing one of its biggest network affiliates. And that leadership has now translated to national recognition of his accomplishments since landing his first top spot at a broadcast TV station.
“We need to serve our viewers on all platforms, including digital and streaming experiences,” Chapuis shares with RBR+TVBR from KSBY’s hilltop studios overlooking downtown San Luis Obispo to the north. “That requires different approaches, but with the same attention and support as our broadcast channels. We see them all as complementary and congruent. While broadcast and live-streaming benefit from real-time delivery — in sports, news, and more — we need to feed the explosive growth of platforms like OTT and YouTube. Content remains king. It doesn’t matter where it is as long as we understand our audience needs. We have to meet them where they are with our core strength of great local story telling and video journalism.”
Ed Chapuis
“While broadcast and live-streaming benefit from real-time delivery – in sports, news and more – we need to feed the explosive growth of platforms like OTT and YouTube.”
For nearly 25 years, television news veteran Ed Chapuis served as a News Director, overseeing journalists at stations in Las Vegas, Sacramento, San Francisco-Oakland, and, since September 2017, The E.W. Scripps Co.‘s ABC affiliate in San Diego. As 2020 began, Chapuis settled in to his first role as a VP/GM, taking over KSBY-6 — a dominant news source serving the Central Coast of California. Here, bucolic beachfront communities such as Pismo Beach mesh with lush vineyards and old fishing towns such as Morro Bay. Then there are the university towns of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to the south. Add in Vandenberg Air Force Base, and there’s plenty of local news locales to cover — let alone the Kristin Smart murder case, which has become a focal point for the com munity that KSBY’s news team has devoted much time and energies toward. While Channel 6 remains a key destination for viewers in “the 805,” a recently updated app has helped in bringing viewers news and special reports wherever and whenever they want.
Scripps
José
ABOUT RBR+TVBR’s TOP LOCAL TV LEADERS:
20 JOSÉ PÉREZ SVP/Programming, WSBS-22 “Mega 22,” Miami Spanish Broadcasting System 2021 Ranking: No. 20
This Honor Roll is produced from RBR+TVBR reader nominations, which were gathered in July 2022. Rankings are based on nomination totals, in addition to research and analysis by the RBR+TVBR editorial department. © 2022 Streamline Publishing.
“Change is progress,” says José Pérez of SBS, who oversees WSBS-22, the flagship property of the digitalthanthe-airol’vision“newThat’shugebutionthinkviewers“Therethewhereontentionattention,”thebeenindustry,threeMegaTVSpanish-languageoperation.“Afterdecadesinthetelevisioninnovationhasalwaysconstantinmycareer.”Withmanypeersinbusinessof“attractingitisPérez’sconthatonemustfocusmorethantheplatformtheaudiencecanseeprogrammingitdesires.aresomanyoptionsforthatit’simpossibletothatonesingledistrivehiclewillattractamarketshare,”hesays.whyPérezbelievesthefrontier”oflocaltele—ironically,the“goodantenna”—makesover-TVmorecompetitiveever.“Hundredsoffreechannelsviaanantenna complement the wonderful platform experience,” Pérez notes. “It is a very valid alternative for today’s household economy.” With “relevant content custom-tailored to your market” the No. 1 mission of Pérez, MegaTV continues to produce programming that sets it far apart from big competitors operated by TelevisaUnivision, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises — organizations where Pérez once worked — and Estrella Media. These efforts helped place Pérez on our Top Local TV Leaders list for the second consecutive year. “Our programming strategy is the keystone of our success,” Pérez says. “We are not a ‘one size fits all’ station. We are bold and we are proud of our exclusive content.”Pérez has been in the lead role at SBS’s MegaTV since joining the company in May 2016. Before that, he served as COO and as an executive producer at Iconika Productions in Miami, “an imaginative creative and production hub with a passion for creative content.” From May 2010 through May 2012, he was VP of Programming and Acquisitions for MegaTV, making Pérez’s current tenure his second. Before joining SBS, Pérez served as SVP of Program Development for Uni vision and, following that role, as SVP of Daytime Programming for Telemundo.
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“There are so many options for viewers that it’s impossible to think that one single distribution vehicle will attract a huge market share.” Pérez
Congratulates ED leadershipREPORT’STELEVISIONRADIOCHAPUIS+BUSINESS2022TOPLOCALTVLEADERSThankyouforyourmission-driventhatsupportsourvisionofcreatingabetter-informedworld.VP&GM,KSBY-TVSANLUISOBISPO
PLEA
A FOR REGULATORY RELIEF
Whether brokers, attorneys, or the lobbyists advocating on behalf of broadcast media like it or not, business growth and the longterm health of the industry are deeply connected to politics. As autumn approaches in Washington, D.C., an evenly divided FCC and a pivotal midterm Congressional election are seen by some as hindrances for radio and TV industry leaders who seek further regulatory reform. What are the “Inside the Beltway” concerns of the media broker and the communications lawyer — each equally important to most media industry transactions?
Is filling that all-important fifth seat the No. 1 desire of a media broker? Or are there more important things the brokerage community is keeping the focus on? Larry Patrick , Managing Partner of Patrick Communications, says that fifth decisionmaker at the Commission “is one of the biggest concerns for brokers.” Patrick says, “A lot of consolidation has happened, and the remaining consolidation is likely to be either in very small markets — markets No. 76+ — where there might be no caps and people can buy and start consolidating there.
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While brokers and attorneys are disparate in their D.C. dealings, their concerns are almost equal with respect to the notion that greater regulatory relief for broadcasters is the biggest want from Capitol Hill. Deals continue to be struck. Media brokers and legal counsel are nearly always involved in any deal of significant size. As such, how Washington moves forward on regulatory policy for broadcast media is perhaps integral to the future of both the broker and the communications law attorney. But is D.C. stuck in the muck, in particular at the FCC? After much chatter and advocacy from key media industry voices about the need to further loosen the commission’s ownership restrictions, the failure of the Biden Administration to get its nominee for the fifth FCC seat — Gigi Sohn — confirmed by Congress has all but put that fight on pause. Intriguingly enough, Sohn’s failure to secure a seat could be seen as a minor victory, as Sohn’s seating would have likely put large-scale broadcast rule reform on ice. Then again, there’s hardly any guarantee Biden’s next choice, whoever that may be, would be willing to thaw local broadcast rules. Luckily, the Commission has not been idle with respect to some broadcast media activity, even with a 2-2 tie. But, as Wilkinson Barker Knauer Partner David Oxenford believes, “The fact that Gigi Sohn has not been approved means that many of the most controversial issues that are partisan won’t move forward at the FCC, or at least the issues where there are partisan divides.” That, he adds, doesn’t mean that nothing can happen, as has been seen during the first half of 2022. “It just means that where there are major policy differences between the sides, either those differences need to be resolved through some compromise, or any actions in the areas that are subject to those disputes have to be put aside and other aspects of those issues need to be resolved.”
frightening.”thatwould[ZoneCasting]thatbesomethingwouldbe
Patrick pivots back to his role as a media broker from that of a licensee, lamenting the way dealmaking has dropped dramatically in recent years.
AN EXAMINATION OF DIVERSITY
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“We know brokers that haven’t been able to get much activity for two to three years now, and some of them have given up and gone into different phases of broadcasting,” Patrick says. “Some have gone into management jobs or taken sales jobs somewhere else. The bigger brokers — our firm, Kalil & Co., and Media Services Group — continue to have activity. But Washington has put a huge clamp on brokers and on operators in medium and small markets who wish to consolidate.”Whileloosening the subcaps for radio is a big desire for many across the radio industry, Oxenford notes that there are fewer big issues pending with broadcast television. The “UHF discount” and national caps remain key D.C. conversation topics for overthe-air TV operators. But whether the FCC has jurisdiction is a topic that goes back to ex-Commissioner O’Rielly; there has been scant discussion of the topic since his exit. Other TV industry issues, Oxenford opines, appear to be largely clarifications of current roles.
— David Oxenford
Spanish-language.
Or, if they really change either the subs or the subcaps at the larger markets, that would spur some dealmaking.” Either of those possibilities — championed by the NAB and former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly — appear dim today, even as Commissioner Nate Simington continues to carry O’Rielly’s torch. “From a brokers’ perspective, they live to do deals,” Patrick says. “When they don’t see much happening here, and a lot of the big groups for a lot of reasons aren’t buying … If they got the idea that they could go beyond five FMs in the largest markets, not all but some of them may try to go ahead and do that.” In the smaller markets, including unrated markets such as those in Wyoming where Patrick himself is an operator of radio stations, D.C. inaction is front and center. “We’re very, very frustrated,” Patrick says. “Two years ago, [Republican FCC Commissioner] Brendan Carr came out to Wyoming and visited our stations and he saw what consolidation has done for us in these smaller markets. We’ve been able to offer a lot of formats and have a much stronger news and sports presence for our listeners. We have competitors that literally are nothing more than a Dell computer sitting on a desktop. The nearest real-world person for that company is 300 to 400 miles away. That’s not public service, and yet the owner there wants us to buy his stations. But we’re not allowed to. “If I had regulatory relief, I could buy his three FMs and make one of them I would probably put a full-time News/Talk format on another, and perhaps another music format on the third FM. We would extend our news coverage and our sports coverage to cover more people, but it is frustrating when you see operators who desperately want to get out and cannot do so because of theEvenrules.”with a 2-2 deadlock at the FCC, Oxenford hopes the Commission realizes that AM radio is suffering. Thus, erasing lower ownership subcaps for AM radio, allowing one company to own every AM station in a market, is something he believes could still happen at the FCC.
Should the fifth FCC Commissioner’s seat be filled before the end of Biden’s term — a conversation that would have seemed ludicrous to some one year ago — would talk of broadcast ownership deregulation be silenced on the grounds that “diversity of voices” is an essential need for American consumers?It’savery real possibility. But achieving that “diversity of voices” may be open to reinterpretation. Until now, the FCC has determined that more Larry Patrick “For smaller market stations and Class As and other lowerpower stations, I would think
“Should two of the top four stations be combined [for a duopoly]?” he says. That’s a topic that remains up for debate and discussion in Washington.
“Two years ago, [Republican FCC Commissioner] Brendan Carr came out to Wyoming and visited our stations and he saw what consolidation has done for us in these smaller markets. We’ve been able to offer a lot of formats and have a much stronger news and sports presence for our listeners. We have competitors that literally are nothing more than a Dell computer sitting on a desktop.” — Larry Patrick
While the 2-2 voting deadlock at the FCC could play a key part in the seemingly outsized role broadband and technology matters have with the Rosenworcel Commission, one big Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that has captured the industry’s attention in 2022 concerns “ZoneCasting.”
Oxenford says it is not a policy issue that is being debated at the FCC. However, he’s made his views clear
on what “ZoneCasting” could do to the industry. “As to the merits of the service itself, excluding the technical questions as to how it would affect the business, it would seem that it is a proposal that would affect different broadcasters in different ways. And, quite frankly, I am surprised at some of the smaller broadcasters supporting the proposal because those that seem most likely to benefit from the proposal are the bigger station owners in bigger markets who can use their boosters and increase their ad dollars. For smaller-market stations and Class As and other lower-power stations, I would think that [ZoneCasting] would be something that would be frightening.”That’sbecause dollars could suddenly go to a “big stick” some 30 miles down the road or to a radio station based in a major metropolitan area seeking to take dollars from a suburban zone primarily served by a smaller broadcast entity. Is “ZoneCasting” a subject of interest among brokers? “I’ll be honest,” Patrick says. “I’ve not had one buyer or seller out of 100 companies I’ve talked to in the last six months even bring it up at all. It is an interesting technology … but I sit on the NAB Radio Board and I understand the NAB’s serious concerns with ZoneCasting. In some cases, it could help some people, but on the other hand it could actually hurt some people.”Forexample, a lower-ranked FM station could decide that its best path forward is to become a competitor to an AM radio station serving a multicultural, ethnic audience. This could significantly weaken the AM’s business, or cause it irreparable harm. “That worries me from a policy standpoint — a technology that looks like something that could be wanted or needed, but the reverse of it is that it could also hurt very badly some smaller broadcasters that are out there,” Patrick says. “At the moment, I would urge the FCC not to do anything … and sort of say no.”
I’m not trying to criticize the Chair, because I think she does a lot of good things in many ways, but it is just not a high priority for them to either regulate or deregulate broadcasting. Broadcasting seems to be sort of an afterthought with this particular Commission.”
Should the Commission bring forth a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would seek public comment on what true diversity is, and how the radio broadcasting industry can best achieve it across the 2020s? “I think diversity of voices can come even if it is from a single owner, but not in all cases,” Patrick says. “The more innovative operators are creating ways to have channels that, full- or part-time, are doing local, regional, or statewide programming.”
Asking a top media broker how the deal-making market is has been a regular question in nearly every conversation. But few wonder whether the transactions marketplace for radio and TV stations mirrors in any “There is the concept that the FCC has had in the past that having different owners would lead to diversity. But greater common ownership in some markets could lead to more diversity in haveprogramming,thesomeargued.”
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 27 licensees equates to more voices. But can a diversity of voices come from a single“That’sowner?really the crux of the argument,” Oxenford says. “There is the concept that the FCC has had in the past that having different owners would lead to diversity. But greater common ownership in some markets could lead to more diversity in the programming, some have argued. To me, where you are really looking at getting diversity is not through broadcast stations anymore because, frankly, it costs a lot to get a truly local broadcast station, and it’s the advertising pie in virtually every market that has been sliced and diced so thinly with the advent of the new competitors in the marketplace, including digital media.”
LOW VALUATIONS? BIG DIVIDENDS
Patrick points to a past example of how a station he once owned in Louisiana put highly desired Cajun music on the air once a week. If not for him, he argues, this programming would not have been made available to local radio consumers.Whilesuch a reconsideration of what diversity means to the Commission is an intriguing idea, any such action could be months or years away. Why? “My bigger problem with the FCC right now, other than that they can’t find another nominee, is that ownership and broadcasting isn’t a big focus of this FCC,” Patrick laments. “Big Tech and dealing with ‘Net Neutrality’ are far more interesting to them.
— David Oxenford David Oxenford
A proprietary offering from GeoBroadcast Solutions, this requires an FCC rule change for its launch — one that would allow the voluntary use of FM boosters for program origination. It’s become a highly divisive issue, with the NAB and its members steadfastly against it and a loose coalition of smaller and multicultural broadcasters for it.
A HYPERLOCAL OPPORTUNITY
But, in times when the Senate is blue and the House is red, “not much gets done,” Patrick notes. If that’s a portent for 2023, the status quo could linger on for broadcast media regulatory policy, extending a sense of malaise permeating the radio and television industry.“There are so many larger social issues than deciding whether a broadcaster in Topeka or in Augusta, Ga., or wherever can own four FMs instead of three,” Patrick says. “That just doesn’t take up space in the House and Senate to pay much attention to it. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re going to see tons done.”
Patrick says, “I think it was actually closer to 6 or 5.75x but I’m seeing mid-6s and even 7s right now from someHowever,buyers.”he admits that some operators have station portfolios that just look “out of whack,” with big markets and “really tiny markets that just don’t make any sense for them to be putting any attention on.” As such, those smallest of market clusters “start to wither,” Patrick says. And, with banks not in support as they may have been in the past, financing movement has all but stopped, in his view.
Oxenford’s fall focus is on political advertising dollars. With the big election, broadcasters need to be observing all of their public files and Cease & Desist letters from political candidates who feel they are being attacked, he says. “Stations have more liability than ever with respect to running ads.” In 2020, Donald Trump sued a TV station in Wisconsin for running an issue ad. While the litigation was abandoned by the former president, “those issues pop up every election cycle and broadcasters have to be ready to deal with them.” Then there are the enforcement issues the FCC always seems to be coming up with, and technical issues with some licensees that fall through the cracks. Lastly, there is EEO policy, scrutinized under current rules, Oxenford points out.
AN EYE ON MIDTERMS
WHAT TO WATCH IN WASHINGTON Does Oxenford think broadcast media leaders should keep their eye on other matters in Washington — including the “SAFE Act,” which would legalize marijuana (SAFE)The Secureadvertising?andFairEnforcementAdvertisingActwasintroduced
in the Senate by Sen. Ben Ray Lujan in late July. As of August 18, S. 4622 had one co-sponsor, Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley. Is Congress ready to give broadcasters something they crave? “Marijuana advertising is certainly something that lots of broadcasters want to do, and there are lots of legal concerns to do it currently,” Oxenford says. “There are various ways this could change. But the SAFE Act being introduced in late July, with the legislative calendar between now and the end of this Congressional term, means it would be very difficult for this act to be passed, as it was just introduced ahead of a recess and a lame duck session.” Sen. Chuck Schumer had proposed to bring to the floor a more comprehensive marijuana package, and Sen. Cory Booker is in support.
28 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022 way the U.S. housing market. If that is the case, are broadcasters in for a bumpy ride? In the Radio + Television Business Report ’s home market of South Palm Beach County, Fla., an ultra-hot housing market, price decreases were seen across July. Then, in mid-August, the residential real estate market reignited, with activity reminiscent of the COVID-19fueled boom of 2021. One week later, significant price cuts were once again appearing. Can any correlation be seen in the world of media deals? Not exactly. But what can be gleaned from the housing market is that, in the most challenging of times, some great buying opportunities can be had.“We have a fairly large number of listings right now, and we’re getting some progress being done,” Patrick says. “We picked up 13 radio stations in Kansas, but they are coming through a bankruptcy. We’ll sell them and we will make some money, and the banks will get somewhat paid back. But, in those situations, the winners are certainly not the owners or the banks, it’s the buyer. And they are getting them at fairly cheap prices.” Patrick continues, “Sometimes some of the best deals are the ones that can be had at the bottom of the market. In terms of normal, everyday stations, I’ve seen somewhat moderate strengthening in pricing.” Last year, Kagan noted that the average price was about 6.5x cash flow.
“That’s a big bill that includes lots and lots of provisions and includes FDA draft regulations for advertising and other national regulations for control over marijuana,” says Oxenford, “so that is going to take time to implement.”ButasAugust came to a close, the likelihood of any movement on marijuana advertising appeared to be slim. A budget rider, something the House of Representatives had passed, would have stopped the FCC from prosecuting a station for running a marijuana ad. That language was stripped out of the Senate version of the bill — and it would have applied for only one Otherwise,year.
“There are so many sociallargerissues than deciding whether a three.”fourwhereverAugusta,inbroadcasterTopekaorinGa.,orcanownFMsinsteadof — Larry Patrick
While Congress still wields much power and influence over what broadcasters can or cannot do, what would a Republican surge in the House mean — especially as the FCC is still without a decisive fifth vote? “I’ve always learned that in election years, certainly by the time we get to where we are now, nothing is going to happen for the rest of the year,” Patrick says. “Everybody in the House is worried about their own elections. I am personally seeing a definite uptick in certain districts and certain states where there is a lot of money flowing in. Democrats are not giving up on the House, but they realize the House could be a real challenge for them. They are trying to build a wall by protecting the Senate.”
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“We think this could be one of the more successful conferences,” Lanzano predicts, with new and returning sponsors in the mix. “Whether you’re there or are watching virtually, everybody sees the same content — and the full content. That was one of the directives we made when we put this together. You will feel like you are at a conference, even if you are sitting at your desk.”
30 · RBR.COM · FALL 2022
Among the big topics of discussion in the TV industry are Political, Automotive, Measurement, and NEXTGENLanzanoTV.laughed when each was rattled off, as there are plenty of “big topics” to chat about in the broadcast TV world. Is there one topic that is perhaps a priority for TVB going into 2023?
Roughly a hundred high-level individuals from across the broadcast television landscape will be on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan on September 22 to attend TVB’s Forward 2022. Thousands more individuals will be logged on to participate in a virtual setting, just as the TVB has seamlessly offered since 2020.
For the first time in three years, the TVB Forward Conference returns to New York’s Chelsea Piers — albeit as a much more intimate VIP affair. That’s by design, says Steve Lanzano, the television industry sales advocacy group’s President/CEO. A full virtual conference is the focal point. Call it a silver lining courtesy of the pandemic.
A PLETHORA OF TOP TOPICS
“Obviously when you go into a year that is not a political year, asking what THINKING, ONLINE AND “IRL”
for 2022: Media Tech. That will join conversations focused on Metrics, Sales, Cross-Platform Buying and Selling, and Security and Systems.
FORWARD
The solution: A morning session, conducted live, will tackle such subjects as measurement while a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) interview is also on the agenda. Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Shelle will conduct a 10-minute “TedX”-style talk on NEXTGEN TV. And traditional Automotive and Political panels will be staged. “That will be streamed live, so all have access to this across the United States,” Lanzano says. The afternoon hours, Eastern time, will see breakout workshops come to life. Topics include business development selling strategies, as well as a new subject added to the skein
Lanzano explains, “We looked at this very differently this year than what we did prior to the pandemic in 2019. During the pandemic, where we had a virtual conference, we went from 600 live attendees to 5,000 people registering to watch the conference virtually.”Witha very successful virtual conference born out of necessity, the question for the TVB became how to “bolt on” a live segment of the conference. “People wanted to get together,” Lanzano says. “They wanted to network. There’s nothing that replaces face-to-face.”
LIVE FROM NEW YORK
A PRIMARY POLITICAL POWER As the political dollar forecasts for 2022 continue to rise, discussions on Connected TV and OTT’s purported prowess in delivering targeted audiences have increased, too. But what does that mean compared to the ongoing efforts by media buyers to get as much broadcast TV time as possible heading into November? “TV still gets over 50% of the dollars, and our share actually increased from year to year,” Lanzano says. “Even as the pie grows, we’re getting a bigger portion of the pie. This is the best case study for local broadcast TV. Win or lose, if you’re the No. 2 share in the category, you’ve lost. They want a certain number of GRPs, and they know that’s what moves the poll numbers. If TV didn’t work, and local broadcast TV in particular didn’t work, they surely wouldn’t be putting more of their money on local broadcast TV.” With dollars likely exceeding 2020 numbers — which is stunning and unheard of in a midterm season — the “down ballot” races are being recognized by political advertising ad buyers. In particular, Lanzano says State Attorneys General races account for $100 million in political ad dollars as ofWithmid-August.political dollars at record levels, what’s the discussion at broadcast TV on the possibility of cannabis advertising? “The bottom line is, obviously, cannabis is still a Schedule I narcotic,” Lanzano says. Thus, any broadcast station cannot air marijuana-based advertising. As of RBR+TVBR’s deadline, the final bill was in the hands of the Senate. With support waning in the upper body of Congress, initial excitement for the passage of any sort of legislation had all but faded as September began.
FALL 2022 · RBR.COM · 31 is happening to the core business [is a key discussion point],” he says. “What’s happening with sports betting? When can we expect Auto to come back? Will Travel remain hot? What’s going to happen to Retail? All of these questions are big ones.” With respect to what could come from outside the TV industry — perhaps a recession — Lanzano admits that broadcast television leaders can only prepare and be ready to move when the time is right. Regarding things that can be controlled by the television industry: there is audience measurement, and Media Rating Council accreditation. “With measurement, obviously, we continue to work with Nielsen as they continue to bring Broadband-Only (BBO) into the sample,” Lanzano shares, adding that the TVB and Nielsen have been working together on PPM out-of-home measurement refinement. Among the issues: viewership of a TV program when muted, which does not get picked up by PPM.Onthe touchy subject of MRC accreditation of Nielsen data, Lanzano says things are moving along, and appear to be positive in nature. “We are a big believer in MRC accreditation, and I know they hope to have accreditation by the end of the year. The panels are back up to over 40,000. This is very Meanwhile,helpful.”Comscore is in the midst of getting accreditation. For Lanzano, it does not matter which one gets the MRC seal of approval first — it’s the accreditation itself that’s key to the TVB. “Even though there are lot of new and exciting research resources out there now, they need to be accredited.”
Group President/CEO Emily Barr, kicks off with a discussion with GroupM Executive Director of U.S. Investment Strategy Adam Gerber. “Emily Barr has been a great broadcaster and a great supporter of broadcasting,” Lanzano says. “She will be missed, and we are honored that we will be able to honor her with a TVB Excellence Award.” Gerber will tackle the topic of impressions, and how an impression should be defined. He’ll also be discussing crossplatform measurement needs and the opportunities in digital. “How broadcasters can play in that field and find more digital marketing assets will be one of the conversations that will likely be had,” Lanzano notes.
In the afternoon, Thought Leader Tracks will see DEI and multicultural sales as topics of discussion. “We want to start tackling DEI — not only DEI in terms of selling a diverse audience to advertisers but also DEI in terms of employment, and across all of the ranks,” Lanzano says. Still, as 2022 moves toward its conclusion, it seems clear that crossplatform buying and selling is perhaps one of the bigger growth areas that broadcast media leaders should understand fully. What are Lanzano’s thoughts on this Thought Leader Track? “Like with Adam [Gerber], we’ll be sharing that there needs to be a universal, defined impression if we are going to have cross-platform,” he says. “Second is the continued movement to automated buying, to do cross-platform buys. It is not easy to do, so how do we automate more of that process?”De-duplicated audience measurement — where it is and what it means — will also be in the discussion mix.Lanzano concluded his conversation by turning back to the big ad-dollar source for 2022: politicians. “The bottom line is that, this year, political has been even bigger than we expected it to be. We’re going to be somewhere in the mid-$4 billionAutomotiverange.” isn’t expected to turn the corner until the tail end of 2022. “We’re hopeful that it starts to come back next year.” With political dollars fading in 2023, that’s a desire many across the TV industry may share with Lanzano.
“Even though there are lot of new and exciting accredited.”now,resourcesresearchouttheretheyneedtobe
The TVB’s Forward 2022 agenda, which includes an honor for career achievement for retired Graham Media
THE BROADCAST LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO ANNOUNCEMENTSMOREMISS.ANDAGENDACOMINGSOON! radiotvforecast.com SAVE THE DATE Broadcast Leadership Plaque Sponsor Corporate Sponsors Bronze SponsorsGold Sponsor Silver SponsorsPlatinum Sponsors Participating Sponsors Honorary Chair Bob Chariman/CEO,Pittman,iHeartMedia Forecast Emcee Juliet Huddy GracieTelevisionAward-WinningHost Radio Chair Greg Ashlock, CEO, Multi Platforms Group, iHeart Media TV Chair Jordan HearstPresident,Wertlieb,Television
